Bernadette Fitzgerald, Customer Service Manager with BMW Group Ireland
So what do women in motoring get up to during their working week? The reality is probably far from what many might think. So we have asked some of the many women working in motoring to share their Working Week with us.
This week we catch up with Bernadette Fitzgerald, Customer Service Manager with BMW Group Ireland
Monday –6.30 am start, up, showered and I am ready to start the week ! I always keep a close eye on incoming emails over the weekend so I am prepared to start my week when I arrive at work and in my mind I will have already prioritised what my Monday morning will consist of. On arrival at the office a coffee is made and I must always update my voicemail before I do anything else, at my desk and ready for action at 9am !
Monday is always the busiest day as I start to action any emails that came in over the weekend and normally the phone is most busy on a Monday morning too. I speak with most dealers on a Monday and ensure they are set for our week ahead. I also speak with our two Customer Service Executives to see if they need any assistance or guidance on any matter to start their week.
Now I am ready to start my day.
What I love about my job is every day is so different, different challenges, tasks and telephone calls all make for a busy day at the office, no two days are ever the same and the variety “keeps me on my toes”.
Monday is also a busy day for meetings so there is always at least one or two meetings scheduled in on a Monday focusing on our objective of “offering the best level of customer service”.
Lunchtime is usually around 12.30 and I am back ready for my afternoon to start at circa 1.00pm.
By 6pm I have departed from the office to go to the gym, a tough finish to a Monday but always very rewarding when I finish a workout with Niamh my gym buddy.
During the week television is very rarely put on as there simply is not enough time to watch it unless there is a debate taking place on a topic which interests me. However, I have been known to watch Masterchef when my husband is not looking.
Lights are always out around 10.00pm so I am fresh for the following days challenges.
Tuesday – 6.30 am, the alarm has gone off, and after my shower I am on the road again. I am usually more prepared for a Tuesday having dealt with any urgent matters on a Monday. Tuesday is when we receive most correspondence so these are all prioritised and responded to accordingly. I depart about 6pm and head for the gym again
Wednesday – Half way through the working week, by now I should be on top of most of my workload from Monday and tend to review at this stage and prioritise for the remainder of the week. Wednesday evening I will spend catching up with my family before the weekend draws near.
Thursday – Its nearly the weekend ! However I could be guilty of hitting the “snooze” button on a Thursday morning on more than one occasion. Up, showered and out. If a dealer visit is on the agenda it will most likely be carried out on a Thursday so I could be in Dublin or Kerry. When I return to the office tomorrow I will have a chance to catch up on all emails before the weekend draws in. Thursday evening is also the last trip of the week to the gym so its always that bit easier to get through the workout.
Friday – It’s the weekend ! It is always a little easier to get up and get out on a Friday morning (particularly if it is a bank holiday weekend). Friday is a very busy day for meetings also, we have a number of weekly and monthly meetings which take place on a Friday and the team each take away a number of action points to follow through on. Friday afternoons are always very busy as I will have a number of calls from dealers with enquiries to be answered before the weekend is upon us. Each dealer wants to always ensure that they have everything covered off for the weekend whether its a car hire extension or to check on the status of a claim.
Friday is also the day when I meet with our technical department to ensure I am kept fully up to date on any changes in this area of the business.
Whilst off duty I am always contactable on the mobile in the event of any urgent matter which may arise which is only on a very rare occasion. However, I always make myself available for dealers in the event that something may come up over the weekend that they need guidance on but thankfully this is not too often
Friday evening and it’s time to hit the road – I leave the office and depending on the time of year will be a deciding factor on what I will do. If it’s a nice summer evening the bbq will be lit and the grass will be cut, if it’s the winter time the fire is lit and I might even get a chance to finally catch up on some television and the rest of the weekend is all mine !
16th October, 2012
